The invention is based on a wiper blade.
A wiper blade with an elongate, spring-elastic carrying element which is pre-curved in a concave fashion with respect to a vehicle window is known from the Word Intellectual Property Organization patent WO 2008/020003, said wiper blade having two spring rails and a wiper strip which is received by the carrying element in a manner allowing it to be exchanged. The wiper strip is fixedly connected at one of the ends thereof to a thickened portion, by means of which the wiper strip can be fixed relative to the carrier element. This results from the fact that the thickened portion can be placed in position against an end face of the spring rail or a bridge, which connects the two spring rails to one another. In this position, the wiper strip is fixed relative to the carrying element by means of an end cap. Said end cap can overlap the thickened portion and the bridge and fix them in position by means of detachable latching means. In the case of disassembly of the wiper strip of the wiper blade, the latching means are detached; thus enabling the wiper strip to be pulled out of the carrying element after removal of the end cap.
The German patent publication DE 10 2004 051 467 A1 discloses a wiper blade of the type in question. The carrying element of said wiper blade comprises two spring rails which run parallel to each other and are connected to each other at their ends by a bridge element. In order to receive a wiper strip, the spring rails form a longitudinal gap, and therefore the wiper strip can be threaded in the longitudinal direction onto the carrying element. Said wiper strip is secured in the longitudinal direction relative to the carrying element by end caps. The latter have an element with a spike which is pressed at the end of installation into a top strip of said wiper strip. In the fitted state, the spike bears against the bridge end face which faces away from the end of the wiper strip. In one exemplary embodiment, the spike is located on a spring tongue which is pressed against the head strip by a flap with an eccentric. The pivot axis of the tongue runs transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade. In another embodiment, the spike is arranged directly on the flap, with the pivot axis of the flap being provided in the vicinity of the outer end face of the end cap.
The German patent publication DE 100 25 710 A1 discloses a wiper blade of flat beam construction, which has a rubber elastic wiper strip with a wiping lip. Lateral longitudinal grooves are provided between the wiping lip and a head strip, two spring rails that are pre-curved in a concave fashion with respect to the wiping lip being inserted in said grooves as a carrying element. Said two spring rails are held together by bridge elements on the ends thereof and by a center connecting element. The bridge elements comprise an integrally formed extension as a fixing means, which has on the free end thereof at least one projection directed towards the head strip. During installation, the extension is bent against the head strip so that the projection engages in said head strip and the spring rails are fixed relative to the wiper strip in the longitudinal direction. Finally, the bridge elements are covered with end caps.
The German patent publication DE 102 45 693 A1 discloses a wiper blade, which has, as carrying element, two spring rails which run in parallel and are connected to each other at their ends by a respective transverse clip. Furthermore, retaining means which fix the wiper strip relative to the spring rails are provided. In order to remove the wiper strip, the retaining means can be easily detached. They are connected on one side to the transverse clip and on the other side via a cohesive material joint, a frictional connection and/or via a form-fitting connection to the wiper strip. In one embodiment, a gudgeon reaches through a guide bore of the transverse clip into the wiper strip and is held in the assembly position by an end cap which latches on the transverse clip by means of a spring element. The spring element can be released by an externally operable element, and therefore the end cap and the gudgeon can be released in order to change the wiper strip. In the fitted state, the end cap is supported by a closed end face, which faces the end of the wiper blade, on the associated end face of the transverse clip. A different exemplary embodiment shows a retaining unit which is manufactured from sheet metal and is pressed into the wiper strip by means of a gudgeon bent toward the wiper strip. During the assembly of the spring rails, the retaining unit is pushed under the transverse clip and is latched on said transverse clip between stop surfaces and a spring tongue. After removal of the end cap, the spring tongue can be pressed into a release position and thus the spring rails can be removed.